


The Magnus Archives Alternate Universe - Anthology

by piningmck



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Elias Bouchard Being a Bastard, Emotional Hurt, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Hurt/Comfort, Jurgen Leitner (dead), M/M, Sexual Assault Allegation/Assumption
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:40:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 5,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24152194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/piningmck/pseuds/piningmck
Summary: An alternate universe where, early in season 2, Jon accidentally finds the tape Gertrude left behind explaining Elias' grand plan. Elias finds out about this later, and makes an attempt to move forward with the plan after killing Jurgen Leitner. Suffering for the Archivist ensues in this small anthology of events.
Relationships: Martin Blackwood & Jonathan Sims
Comments: 18
Kudos: 85





	1. The murder of Jurgen Leitner, and the threat of Elias Bouchard

It was minutes before Elias had stopped beating in Leitner’s skull. The deadman was slumped over Jon’s desk. And Jon just sat there. Nauseous. Tears silently falling. Fearful. Here was Gertrude’s murderer.

“And that,  _ Archivist _ , is why you don’t find out the plan before you’re ready!” Elias yelled, and Jon flinched back.

“W-w-wh-what,, What are you going to do to me?” Jon asked. Elias sighed. 

“I’m not going to kill you, Jon. We’re already under investigation for Gertrude. If another head archivist ends up dead, it’ll be my head under the chopping block. No, I won’t kill you.” Elias cracked a smile, wiping the slick blood off the pipe with a handkerchief, as it splattered to the floor. “And I can’t do what I’d like to do either. If I leave this body, they’ll only have you arrested. Well, they’ll have  _ me _ arrested,” he laughed. 

“W-what are you t-talking abou-” Jon was stopped short of the images flooding his head. Tears fell painfully down his cheeks. Body swapping.  _ Murder _ body swappingTwo centuries of it. “Oh.”

“Yes. And so, because of that, I can’t kill you.  _ But _ , I still need an archivist,” Elias smiled musically. “So,  _ you’re _ going to help me.” Jon stood up, fearful, but angry. 

“Why the hell would I-” Stopped short again. Images. Feelings. Jon’s father. The fall. His father’s feelings as his bones broke. How he suffered, not being killed instantly. Elias clicked his tongue in disappointment, as Jon suffered the agony, losing the feelings in his legs, falling to his knees. Elias walked over, lifting the archivist’s chin up as Jon’s tears fell silently.

“Stop saying words, Jon. You’ll just keep hurting yourself.” Elias smiled. “You know what the Watcher’s Crown is. You will continue to be my archivist. You will do as I say, find whoever I tell you to find, and in the end, if you behave, I won’t break you in the process. Understood?” Jon nodded, silent. “Now, stand up.” Jon shakily, did as told. “Come over here,” Elias pulled Jon to a clearer spot. “Tim and Martin are about to arrive. Wouldn’t want them suspecting you, now would they?” Jon shook his head no. “Stand there. Close your eyes if you have to. 

He did.

“Now, when you wake up, you’re going to tell them that a big, burly man came out from the tunnels, one you suspected had been living in there for a while during your number of investigations. He killed Leitner right in front of you, and you were lucky to have survived when he attacked you.”

“Y-yeah, wait what?”

The impact was short. Getting hit in the head with a lead pipe isn’t what you think it’ll feel like. At first, it’s even numbing before you come to terms with how hard you were hit. But it took two more hits before Jon was knocked out cold. Elias saw there was a small leak in the skull, but he knew Jon was breathing. And off Elias popped, back into the tunnels. 

“Jon? Oh my god- Jon!” Martin cried out, running to Jonathan’s side. “Tim, he’s still breathing.” Tim took to inspecting the other body. The skull was mashed like potatoes. 

“Christ, who the hell  _ did _ this?” 

“Who  _ cares _ , call an ambulance! Jon? Jon? Can you hear me Jon?” Martin was able to get a groan out of Jon, but not much else. Tim was only on the phone for a short while. He was mulling things over. Dead stranger, nearly dead Jon. No sasha. God, no Sasha. He felt like screaming. What was going on? Was Jon acting so strange because of this? Did he know this would happen? Was there someone after him? 

“ _ Fuck _ , why didn’t he just tell us!?” Tim kicked the side of the old wooden desk in anger. 

“Tell us what?”

“This! Whatever this was, he was being targeted by someone. I thought he was just  _ losing _ it. Going maniacal. Months of being skittish around everyone, like he murdered Gertrude himself, going around the tunnels, being paranoid, you noticed, I noticed!” 

“You don’t think Gertrude’s killer  _ did _ this, do you?” 

“They might as well have!” 

“Oh, Jon. What aren’t you telling us? ...” 


	2. Jonathan Sims, moving into the institute.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim's perspective of a conversation between himself and Jonathan Sims, about a number of belongings delivered to the institute.

“What’s this about?” Tim asked. Tim had tried to act a little more kindly to Jon in the past few weeks since he was attacked. Lord knew he needed someone on his side after shouldering what he did for so many months. The confession Tim and Martin had gotten from Jon was brutal. Jon had found out the assailant who killed Jon’s predecessor was living in the tunnels, and was planning on coming after him. An even crazier discovery that the man who was murdered was motherfucking  _ Jurgen Leitner _ . Apparently, he’d worked with Gertrude. The damage to his head wasn’t life threatening, but the concussion it gave him took two weeks to actually shake off. Soon, physically, he was well enough for things to return to normal.

But Jon hadn’t fully recovered, even if he was back at work. Not emotionally. The trap door to the tunnels was boarded, the first strange thing to happen. Jon said he didn’t want whoever that came from the tunnels to come back, and that there was nothing left of use in there anymore. He was terrified,  _ constantly _ . Jumpy, tired, miserable. Often breathing so hard Tim could hear it from the hallway, and he’d walked in on Jon crying more often than not. The man nearly had a panic attack at least twice a day. Martin did his best to insist Jon take more time off work, or at least look into getting a psychiatric consultation, but Jon was, as always, stubborn. And now, Jon’s belongings were in the extra room in the archives. The one Martin lived in before Prentiss. 

“Oh. I-I… I was e-evicted.”

“What? Why? Money?”

  
“N-no! No. Uhm…” Jon seemed to struggle to get his thoughts together. Tim could hear him trying not to hyperventilate. “Apparently there was a mold growing where I didn’t notice, but the tenants below saw it clearly… Before I-I knew it, t-they kicked me out saying it was uninhabitable. And, well, people have lodged here before.” 

“I see…. Are you sure you’re okay? Honestly, we all think you need a therap-” 

“I appreciate your concern Tim, but for the last time,  _ drop it _ . Th-there’s nothing I can do about this right now, o-o-okay?” Tim sighed. It was worth the shot to bring up the subject again. He walked past Jon, patting him on the shoulder. 

“Alright. But don’t let people get too worried about you, boss. You’ll need an intervention.” Jon was silent. Tim decided he was going to keep a closer eye on him. Something about that mold seemed… Fake. 

It took two weeks to land the location of Jon’s old flat, and when he finally did meet the new tenants, there was complete denial of any mold from them, the tenants who would have noticed, and the landlord. 


	3. Timothy Stoker’s confrontation of Elias Bouchard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (trigger warning for assumption of rape/sexual assault))
> 
> Perspective of Elias Bouchard, of a confrontation from Tim Stoker, about the behaviour of Jonathan Sims.

“Tim. Did you need something?” Elias smiled. He knew what Tim was thinking. 

“Yeah. I need some answers.” Oooh, he looked angry. This was going to be fun.

“Oh? What about?” 

“About what the  _ hell _ you’ve been doing to Jon.” Elias sighed. It’d only been two months since Leitner’s murder. Jon cracked already? Did Elias not see this? He must have gotten distracted.

“So, he told you then?” 

“No. He gets too defensive when anyone brings it up. But I’ve gotten the hang of watching my boss when he’s being suspicious. I’ve seen the way he acts around  _ you _ , specifically.” Ah, intuition then. Good on Tim. He was acting… Noticeably nicer to the archivist these past weeks, almost just as protective as Martin. Elias would have to bring this up with Jon later. Bad acting deserves reprimanding, at the very least. 

“And what do you think I’m doing to him, exactly?”

“Hurting him. Keeping him in the institute. What, is he your… Sex slave or something?”

  
“That’s… Tim, even  _ I’m _ shocked you’d think that. God, I wouldn’t do  _ that _ .”

“Well, Elias, there’s not much you’re giving me here! What the hell are you doing to Jon?”

“ _ Nothing _ , Tim. I don’t know where you got these… Delusions! Besides, if you’ve noticed so much, have you seen the way he’s been acting in general? He’s mentally unwell. He hadn’t even properly recovered from the Prentiss attack, and from finding out about Ms. Robinson. Then some… Maniac with a pipe has him under threat? Stalks him from the tunnels? Kills a man in front of him? He’s been nervous around  _ everyone _ since then.”

“Then why not help him? Force him into therapy, or something!” 

“I  _ have _ been helping him. Who do you think offered to let him stay here when he was evicted?” 

“Oh yeah, right. He sure was evicted. Mold, was it? Pretty convincing story. Just like Prentiss. Revenge of the Corruption, planning a sneak attack on the head archivist. But, you know, it’s funny! I thought it’d be a pretty good thing to check up on, just to let Jon know whether or not his flat was ready to be habitable again. But, what’s this? Everyone denied the mold ever existed!” 

“That’s hardly my fault, Tim. Who would possibly want to tell a potential buyer there was a mold problem?”

“You’d be right on that, but… What else.. Oh, would you look at that, the landlord claims to have never forcibly evicted Jon from his flat? That, Jon just, moved out, so suddenly?” Elias was silent. “Right. No explanation for that, huh? So let me ask you one more time.  _ What, are, you, doing, to, Jon _ ?” 

Elias sighed. Come up with something quick. “Tim… I’ll admit, you’re quite keen. You make an excellent archival assistant.” Dramatic pause, a little more time to think. He fake-sighed. “Fine. I’ll tell you.”

“Go ahead. I’d  _ love _ to hear it.” 

“But don’t blame me if he gets angry with you. He wanted this to be kept a secret. Said he’d worried you all enough as it was.” Tim seemed to be listening intently. Damn, this was a pain. 

“Jon, as you know, wasn’t recovering well after the two attacks on the institute and himself. He later confided in me that he wasn’t feeling secure in his own home. Because, as you know, the killer was never caught. Jon felt like he was still after him. So, I offered that he could reside in the archives indefinitely. Believe me, I’ve tried to get him to see a psychiatrist, consultant, anyone. But he’s stubborn. Thinks doing as much work as he can will get his mind off of it. He didn’t want to worry you all.” Elias put a hand on Tim’s shoulder, who seemed to be buying it. “He knows how much trouble he caused you before. He’s trying to get through this in a way that feels right to him. I wouldn’t dream of even being _ capable _ of hurting him.” 

After a long pause, Tim finally sighed. “Alright. Yeah, alright. I… Sorry. It’s just- Sasha’s still missing, Martin won’t shut up about Jon, and Jon is-  _ Jon _ .” 

“I’m sorry about Sasha. You know I’m doing everything I can with the police to find her.” A trail of cold leads, of course. He’d tell Tim about her later. “Take the rest of the day off. Why don’t the three of you take the rest of the day off? I’m sure Jon of all people could use a breather.”

“Uh- I- What? Really?” 

“Sure!” Elias shrugged. “You’ve all been working so hard after so much has happened. A small break wouldn’t hurt anyone. Get him out of the building for the rest of the day, alright? Keep an eye on him,” he winked. 

“Uh- Yeah! Right. Thanks.” Tim left with a small sigh of relief. Jon would definitely need that breather, for what was coming for him later that evening. 

And as the hours passed, Jon eventually returned. Elias let him know what to do when returning, and Jon found himself in Elias’ office. 

“How was your time out?” Silence. “Don’t be shy. The boardwalk looked lovely.”

“... I-it was.”

“Good, good. But, there is something I need to discuss with you, Jon. I’m very disappointed. You haven’t been able to keep up appearances at all lately. I had to have a lengthy conversation with Tim. He saw right through your moldy flat ruse. Fortunately, I saved you from that. Didn’t I?”

“.... Y-yes. Thank you.” 

“Hm,” Elias smiled gleefully. “But, that doesn’t change the fact that you let Tim get suspicious. He made the most outrageous assumption, too. That you were some… Trafficking victim, or something. The mind of that man.” 

“... Right.”

“Do you know what’s about to happen?” Jon didn’t nod. But his eyes knew perfectly. Wide, small, like a frightened puppy. Elias could practically see the tail between Jon’s legs. “Well, best to get it over with, then.” 

Images flashing. Jon’s mother, flatlining on the operating table. Nothing could be felt from her, but it wasn’t her feelings Jon had to feel. The assisting surgeon, who’d operated on the woman several times already, struggling not to give up against the orders of the head. The anesthesiologist, who just got the job. His first dead patient. He would never recover from the trauma. A deep part of him always blamed himself for the woman’s death. The surgeon and doctor, the feelings they had to push down in order to keep a straight face when they told the older woman about the death of her child. The young boy, who didn’t understand it all, crying along with his grandmother. The grandmother’s feeling of loss, how much it hurt. How she’d be the sole caretaker of the young boy from now on. 

By the time the images stopped, Jon was on all fours, head buried into his arms, as though shielding himself from an invisible force. 

“Next time you disappoint me, archivist, you’ll be getting to see how that boy who took the Leitner from you felt upon his death. It’s quite gruesome. Now. Get out of my office.” 

Without a word, Jon stood up, and struggled out the door, in silent tears. 


	4. Archival assistants' confrontation of Elias Bouchard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The confrontation of Elias Bouchard, from the archival assistants of The Magnus Institute.

“No, God, please, don’t!” Jon was trying his hardest to keep Tim from storming Elias’ office again. But Daisy held him back. “You don’t know what you’re doing! None of you know what’s at stake here! Please!” He begged. He couldn’t handle any more torture. 

“Jon, we’re trying to help you!” Martin pleaded.

“This isn’t helping! This isn’t helping!” Jon cried. 

But it was too late. Everyone was in Elias’ office now. Elias was sitting comfortably. 

“Alright, motherfucker.  _ Enough _ . You lied to me once, but you can’t lie to all of us.”

“You seem tense, Tim.”

“E-Elias, p-lease,” Jon cried. “I swear, this wasn’t my fault! I-I didn’t tell them anything!” 

“Yes, I know, Jon. You did your best. Ms. Tonner, you can let him go. You’ll break him.” Surely, Daisy let Jon go. He stuck to the back of the room, to which Martin went to hold onto him. Jon looked like he was about to collapse. His tears fell silently. 

“What’s going on!?” Martin exclaimed. Elias sighed. “Don’t look bored!”

“I’m just thinking how this is such a pain. Alright. I suppose you all deserve an explanation.”

  
“Better be detailed,” Basira threatened.

“Yes, yes. Where to start. Jon and I are working on a… Project. Technically, we’re all working towards the same thing. But, in order to succeed, I needed Jon to be… More than he thought he could be. Ideally, he’d need to have more in common with Miss Prentiss.” The audience gasped, as Elias smiled. “But to do that, he had to learn the… Rules, of the powers he was to come into.”

“S-so what, you hurt him?” Melanie spoke up. 

“Not physically. Lord knows I don’t need to touch him to hurt him. Would you like an example?” 

“No!” Everyone yelled, but it was too late. Elias laughed as Jon fell to his knees with an agonizing weep. It was only a short flash, though. Just the moment of realization of that young boy and his encounter with The Spider. Jon calmed down quick enough, falling into Martin’s arms to sob undeserved apologies to Elias. 

“He’s making extraordinary strides! You’ve all begun to see his power, I’m sure. How he knows things he shouldn’t, how he can read other languages fluently. How he needs those statements to stay healthy. All this, to help fit into his role as The Archivist, and soon, to stop the rituals of powers far more horrifying than anything I could make him experience.”

“But why make him so… Why’d you have to do what you did?” Tim couldn’t hold his anger at the situation any longer. Angry tears were almost flowing from his eyes. Almost. 

“Have you not noticed the place you work in, Tim? This institute was founded on the research of the paranormal. The fear of the people who experience them. Jon needed power, and fear is what juices up that power! It’s quite simple.”

“You’re a monster,” Daisy said, disgusted, moving to the front of the group. “What’s keeping you alive right now?”

“This.” He slid a contract over the table. “Ms. Hussain. I believe you’re in need of a job?”

“... That’s right.”

“Work here, then. The pay’s comfy, the stories are fun to research, there’s no “Section 31” to worry about, and to your main concern, no, you won’t be experiencing anything of the likes that Mr. Sims has. In fact, you’ll be helping us save the world!” Basira didn’t respond for a moment. 

“Basira… Don’t tell me you’re actually considering it,” Daisy said. 

“I need to get a cheque from somewhere, and it’s not like I don’t have experience in this department.” She turned back towards Elias, her mind made up. She took the pen, and signed. 

“Fine, how does that keep you alive?” Daisy asked. 

“Because now I have leverage over you. I, Elias Bouchard, am somewhat like Jane Prentiss myself. In the most simplest of terms, I am the heart of this institute. If you make any moves of destroying this place or myself, it will most likely kill them too.”

“What?!” Melanie exclaimed. Basira made a regretful sigh.

“Now that that’s done. Let’s go through a lightning round of things you’re all wondering right now. One: Yes, I killed Gertrude Robinson and Jurgen Leitner. Why? They were getting in my way. Two: Tim, Sasha’s been dead for over a year, and your memories of her voice and appearance were changed by the thing that took her place. You saw her in the tunnels, remember? Melanie was the only one who remembered the real Sasha. Three: I see everything you do, everything you’re thinking. So no, you cannot plan against me. Are we clear?” The shock of all that information brought Tim to his knees.

“Seems like we are. Now , I believe it’s time I tell you all what we need to get to stopping.” 


	5. Martin K. Blackwood, regarding an offer to Elias Bouchard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Martin offers a wager to Elias Bouchard, regarding the general health of Jonathan Sims.

“Elias.” 

“Martin.”

“We… We need to talk.”

“Yes, it appears so.”

“I… You need to let Jon out of the archives.”

“Wow, quite the spine on you to demand such things, Martin. I’m impressed. What for? He’s making wonderful strides.”

“It’s driving him mad!” 

“Good,” Elias said, nonchalantly. “A little madness never hurt anyone.”

‘No! What I’m saying is- You’re messing with his head too much. He's not even  _ sleeping _ anymore, he’s nearly collapsed 5 times today.”

“I’m well aware of that, Martin.”

“It’s,  _ noon _ .”

“Yes, surprisingly, I know what time it is too!” Elias said with fake enthusiasm. “What would you have me do? Tell him to sleep better? That’s his own fault.”

“No, it’s not! I-  _ Ugh! _ Let him stay with me. Since you kicked him out of his own flat, and I’ve got spare space he can take.”

“Yes, you’d want that, wouldn’t you? Make him feel all better, and you’d be the great hero in his mind.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Is it though? You’ll have to do better than that if you want to convince me.” 

Martin thought for a moment. “Alright,” he said. “You think Jon is doing just fine, well he’s  _ not _ . He’s too tired to keep his eyes open for most of the day, and he can hardly get through a normal statement without nearly passing out after. He’s tired, he’s not eating well, and I think, at this point, he’s constantly dehydrated. At this rate, he’ll have to be hospitalized, and he won’t be able to go on missions for you anymore. He won’t be able to train for… Whatever it is he’s training for. Am I… Wrong?”

“... I suppose, not...” Elias sighed. “So, what is this?”

“An offer, a wager, whatever you want to call it. Just let Jon stay with me, stop with the mind torture, just until he gets better.” Elias mulled it over. The archivist was already coming into his own, but if this could promise more results, then it wouldn’t hurt to try. 

  
“ _ Fine _ . You can have him for a  _ month _ . If his results improve, I’ll consider letting him stay with you for longer. If unchanged, he’ll come back to me.” Martin seemed to gain some enthusiasm because of his win. He left with a small thanks.


	6. The nightmares of Jonathan Sims, and Martin K. Blackwood’s solution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, it's that chapter.

On the couch in the flat, mumbling turned into cries often in the dead of night. Jon’s nightmares hadn’t ceased in the week he’d been staying in Martin’s flat. While his physical health had certainly improved, he was still just as emotionally fragile. Martin suspected Elias was plaguing him with nightmares. And tonight, he’d finally had enough. He had a solution to offer, and Jon was going to listen to him, whether it destroyed his dignity or not. In the few weeks Martin had found out about Elias’ deeds, he’d gotten quite close to Jon, as emotional and physical support, if nothing else. They’d become quite touchy feely, even. Used to hugging. So, Martin swallowed his own embarrassment, and went to wake up Jonathan Sims.

“Jon. Jon. Psst, Jon.”

The cries continued. Pleads to stop something. To stop the pain. Apologies. Martin took to his knees, turning Jon over, cupping his cheek with one hand, and holding Jon’s hand tight with the other. Martin stroked Jon’s cheek with his thumb, whispering sweet nothings until the cries calmed down. Then, Martin started to shake Jon awake. It didn’t take much. Jon gasped awake. He’d often forget where he was when doing that. 

“Jon, Jon. It’s okay. It’s me. It’s Martin. You’re in my flat. Remember?” Silence as Jon got his bearings together, and then a nod, and a sob of relief. “Sounded like a bad one.”

“Y-Yes, yes I think it was.”

“Is he the one doing it?” Jon shook his head, holding Martin’s hand tight. 

“I-I I don’t think so. I think it’s just a normal nightmare this time.”

“Well, I have an offer to make.” 

“What is that?”

“Come and lie down with me?” 

“Okay.”

“Now you don’t have to if you don’t want to, god knows I won’t force you to- Oh, what?”

“I-I, I said, okay.” Jon hoisted himself up and off the couch, Martin standing with him. His hands were shaking. “Can’t make things worse, right?” 

“Uh.. no, I suppose it can’t. Alright, this way then.”

They lay in silent distance for only a few minutes before Jon began to whimper. He then clung onto Martin’s arm, and Martin shifted to let Jon rest his head on the arm instead. Martin used his free hand to brush his fingers through Jon’s hair, silently. Jon’s silent cries turned to calmer breaths, and then, finally, into a soft snore. Since they had begun to share a bed, Jon stopped crying out in the middle of the night.


	7. A talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A conversation between Elias Bouchard and Jonathan Sims, about the latter's emotional recovery.

Jon had gone out to his usual spot for a cigarette. Since the month he’s stayed in Martin’s home, he’d been able to get some real sleep, and his weight was back to a healthy number. Because he no longer had to hide all of the truth, he’d become more relaxed around his staff again. Of course, the final plan was still kept a secret. 

“Hello, Archivist.” Jon flinched. He was still afraid of Elias. But, thanks to the rest of the archival staff, the amount of psychological torture Jon endured had decreased. “You seem… Better.”

“I feel… Stable,” Jon said quietly. 

“Your work output has increased in quality as well, it would seem.” 

“I hoped it had.”

“Feeling more cooperative now?”

“I… Still don’t have a choice in the matter.” 

“Yes.” Jon could tell there was something Elias wanted to tell him. Was that a hint of… Guilt? Remorse? “Look, I know what you’re thinking, and first off, stop that.” Jon looked back to his cigarette. “Second, I would like to… It would seem I had been…  _ Hasty _ , in trying to train you. A moment of desperation, if you’d call it.”

“Well, you did emotionally torture me for months, and you kept me here as a hostage. But sure, desperation.”

“And _ in _ that… Desperation, it appeared I had…  _ Misjudged _ your stamina.”

“Oh, that’s a shame.” Jon got another glare. 

  
“But, seeing as the quality of your work has increased in the month you’ve spent with Martin, I am….  _ Willing _ , to keep this new routine.” Jon felt a ping of hope rise up in him. “ _ As long _ as you stay productive. Dip in quality again, and we’ll go back to square one.” Jon nodded. “I suppose you can tell Martin the good news.” Elias walked back into the institute, and Jon breathed a sigh of relief, finishing his cigarette. Back to work.


	8. A confession in The Lonely

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A confession from Jonathan Sims to Martin K. Blackwood, about the plan of Jonah Magnus.

“I see… You, Jon. I see you.” Martin quivers burst into sobs as the two embraced in each other’s comfort. “I… I was on my own. I was all on my own.”

“I-I know, and I’m so sorry.”

“What do we do now?”

“I can get you home. I know the way, but… I can’t come with you.” Martin pulled away. 

“What?” The wind was starting to pick up. 

“N-Not yet, at least. I need to stay here.”

“Jon, what are you talking about? I’m not leaving you in here!”

“The plan, Martin.” Jon held Martin’s hand up to his mouth, kissing it in a pleading comfort. Martin moved his hands to cup Jon’s face. “Elias’ plan. I never told you the truth- the whole truth. I-I was going to get you all killed if I did-”

“What plan, Jon?”

“The Watcher’s Crown. It’s not just the ritual of the Beholding, Martin. It’s all of them. The other rituals would have never worked on their own, b-because the Entities, all of them, they’re all connected, as much as we tried to explain them as separate, they were too connected to only bring in one at a time. W-we didn’t even have to do anything about the Unknowing, i-it was all pointless. But I had to be there anyways. I had to be marked.”

“Jon?”

“The encounters I’ve had, Martin. Jane Prentiss’ attack, Michael, the Web Leitner, Mike Crew, Jude Perry, Jared Hopworth, When Melanie stabbed me, when Daisy tried to kill me, the thing that killed Sasha, The Unknowing, my coma, when I went into the coffin, when Basira and I went to Norway- All those things  _ marked me _ . The ritual wouldn’t have worked if I wasn’t marked somehow by all of the entities. I am the one meant to wear the Watcher’s Crown.”

“B-But there’s fourteen! You only mentioned thirteen of those, you- you-... This place just marked you, didn’t it?”

“I’m so sorry,” Jon nodded. “It’s why Peter trapped you in here, to  _ lure _ me.” Martin was silent for a moment as his face continued to fall. 

“Jon, I-I’m-”

“No, no, it’s not your fault-” Jon reassured. “Believe me, he would have found a way to do this anyways, please, don’t blame yourself.”

“But you’re asking me to  _ leave _ you here, w-why? You know I can’t do that, I-I-I just got you back!” Martin choked. 

“I’m sorry, Martin. There’s no other way, I need time to think. Elias is free, and I’ve been marked. If I leave, the world as we know it will end. I don’t know how, but I-I know it’ll happen.” 

  
“How do you know he can’t make you do it here?”

“Hopefully, if my theory is correct, it’d work the same way the Hunt couldn’t reach Daisy while she was in the Buried.” Martin didn't look conviced. "Please, Martin, I need to do this."

“ **_No_ ** . I won’t. I’m not leaving you.”

“Martin-” 

“Shut up! I’m not leaving you! Either you come with me, or-or... Or I stay here with you!” 

“Martin!” 

“That’s my final offer! And you know I can be stubborn!” 

“ _ Martin _ ,” Jon whined. “I can’t guarantee your  _ safety _ if I go back out there, the world’s safety!”

“And I never  _ asked _ you to, Jon! Whatever hell Elias wants to put you through,  _ we’ll _ figure a way around it.” Martin moved to hug Jon once again. 

“And if we don’t? If the world ends?”

“Then we’ll go through it  _ together _ . Call me selfish, but I’m not letting you go ever again. For my sake and yours.” 

Jon only held Martin tight as he tried to think. It’s not like he  _ wanted _ to stay here. It sucked in here! He could succumb to the Lonely before he ever thought of a way to stop this. Elias could have made another Archivist by the time he _did_ think of something. There were too many variables to consider. Jon was practically  _ blind _ . 

Though… He was used to that. He could never predict the future before. He leaned into Martin.

“... Together, then.” They both stood up, affirming their faith in each other with just a look. “We won’t have much time after we get out. There are two people and Not-Sasha looking to kill me.”

“Well, then we better run,” Martin said, determined. Jon nodded. And from the comfort of the trenches, they marched back into the battlefield. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading through all these chapters! I hope you enjoyed the au!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


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